Walkers were invited to to ‘discover the shape of a nation’ when the Wales Coast Path was launched in May 2012. The entire coastal path is signposted and waymarked with distinctive ‘dragonshell’ logos. Most of the early trailblazers weren’t content with the 1,400 kilometres (870 miles) coastline, choosing to continue along the Offa’s Dyke Path to make a complete circumnavigation of Wales, covering 1,690 kilometres (1,050 miles). One woman even walked the whole way with a donkey in 2013!

A walk along the Wales Coast Path offers a splendid romp through history. Iron Age hill forts and promontory forts come thick and fast, and some are slowly crumbling into the sea. Edward I built his strategic 'Ring of Iron' castles around North Wales in the 13th century, while striving to subdue revolt and rebellion. From the 19th century, something akin to a 'Ring of Ironworks' developed as industry burgeoned in South Wales. Railways threaded through the countryside to convey materials more efficiently, and workers were quick to use evolving passenger services to visit the coast for day trips and holidays, resulting in the creatio of seaside resorts. People who wanted to walk soon found their way off the promenades and onto the coastal paths, and now the entire coast can be walked from Chester to Chepstow.

Most walkers would expect to take two months to complete a trail of this length, and this is no glorified beach walk. There’s a huge amount of variety, with rugged cliffs, rocky coves and long, sandy beaches contrasting markedly with gaudy resorts, hulking steelworks and the petro-chemical pong of oil refineries. The Snowdonia National Park reaches the coast, and the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park is truly remarkable. Other fine stretches of coast lie in Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, including Anglesey, Llŷn and the Gower. Over a dozen stretches of Heritage Coast have been designated, and there are also plenty of nature reserves. Some redeveloped docklands have scrubbed-up amazingly well and often incorporate green spaces.

There is plenty of accommodation, ranging from basic campsites to posh hotels, but it is unevenly spread. Public transport is often available, though services are sparse on Sundays. Food doesn't need to be carried any great distance and there are only a couple of days where a shop, pub or beach cafe doesn't appear conveniently around lunch-time. In fact, all you really need is to be aware of what useful services lie ahead, and simply walk towards them. Those who can't spare the time for an eight-week epic trek could walk a week or two here and there, gradually covering the entire coast.

GPX tracks are available for all the routes in this guidebook. They can be downloaded from the Cicerone website.